


Dinner and Clarity

by ALiteraryLady



Series: The Dodds family dynamic (an exploration of family in the 21st century) [1]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Adorable Pets, F/M, Family Healing, Kittens being adorable, Odd Family Dynamic, Puppies being adorable, Sugary sweet family fic, The Dodds Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 08:11:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7093804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ALiteraryLady/pseuds/ALiteraryLady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of many Dodds ficlets to explore the dynamic between these family members since it was never done on the show. <br/>Mike Dodds and Quin Montgomery finally find the time to invite over his family and a comical evening ensures.</p>
<p>Plus? Adorable pets :D</p>
<p>*Warning: There is mention of fertility issues in this fic, please be advised and know its in here. Thank you*</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dinner and Clarity

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> I felt the need after the season finale to create a collection of family fic(lets) that involve various members of the Dodds family. I am not opposed to opening this up to co-authors in time and I'd like to have a space on here where various Dodds fans can create stories to celebrate the family we all should have gotten to know better on the show. Some of these stories will have aspects of my other work, Intuitive connection, in them, others may not.
> 
> I'm choosing to keep it open and see how people receive it, so any and all feedback is welcome and appreciated.
> 
> Also feel free to send me comments, concerns, or prompts to my tumblr account: ladyzootie.
> 
> Enjoy!

The days and weeks leading up to this moment flashed over her consciousness and Quin jumped under Mike’s hand on her shoulder. She had been setting the dining room table and from the lack of completion she knew she had frozen again. It wasn’t PSTD from their time in the Gauntlet last year, it wasn’t from any emotional trauma, but rather the duress that making her home-their home-pristine enough for his family.   
“Hey, you sure you’re okay with this?” Mike gently questioned her as Quin let out a pensive sigh.  
“Yes, I mean, of course. You get shot by a maniac in his house months ago, survive, and I’m the one who is freezing...heh.” she confessed as her hand rested right above his belt, reminding her that he was alive and well, that she needed to join him.  
“Your workload has been insane, this weekend is supposed to be relaxing-” Mike caught himself as Quin looked at him.  
“-in all fairness will either one of us really be relaxing? I’m sorry that isn’t fair for me to say, it’s just been a busy few months, moving in with you, the aftercare-which I’m more than glad to do for you- but still..” her eyes looked away from him in fear of his wordless judgment, “...they’re your family, they’re gonna be in love with seeing you again, but what if they don’t like me?”  
She paused as his forehead rested against hers and he held her close.  
“They’re gonna adore the ADA that helped to put Munson in prison, Dad won’t shut up about it, especially with anyone in 1PP and mom and Matt are gonna like you too-”  
Their intimate moment disturbed by the door bell ringing several times and the faint sounds of an argument brewing.  
“I’m on my way!” Mike called out as Quin took a moment to finish setting the table. The door cracked open and she saw her trio of kittens scamper over to the Dodds clan. Her and Mike had finally decided some pets would be a welcome addition, but she still worried that she presented as a crazy cat lady to outsiders, so only he and Carisi knew about all of their new additions. Naturally, Carisi offered to set up an instagram account for the trio that he called the Dodds kittens but Quin politely had told him that her pets needed to live a modest life outside of the internet’s glamor. He had agreed.  
Chief Dodds looked professional as ever, a two piece suit fitting him well, but Matt and Mike’s mother were more casually dressed; his brother in jeans and a t-shirt and his mother wearing a flowing peasant top, a broomstick skirt, and a pair of oversized sandals. His mother, a petite blonde woman in her mid 50’s reached down and picked up Lulu as a smile crossed her face.  
“Oh heavens, you’re precious! What’s your name little one?”  
Lulu responded with a weak, timid meow and Mike’s mother let out a laugh as his brother scooped up the other two, which garnered a slight annoyance from the Chief.  
“You’ve got attack kittens now?” the Chief attempted to tease, but Quin felt herself bristle against the remark for a moment.

Calm down, he’s trying to keep things civil...you weren’t the only one there for Mike. It’s been a long road but he’s got to be worrying about Matt and Mike’s mom too.

Mike smiled, “Here, let me get the door.” he suggested as Matt looked at Quin and silently handed her the kittens as his mother continued to lavish attention on Lulu, her white and cream colored ragdoll.  
“Oh this one loves people...you know in ancient Egypt cats were revered as Gods! This one knows I’m a kindred spirit.”  
The chief openly rolled his eyes, “Ugh with that kindred spirits, souls-” he groaned as Matt butted into his thought.  
“So, what are their names?” Matt asked as he smiled at the two kittens in her arms.  
Quin looked at Mike who answered, “The tabby is Finny, the all black one with the socks is Munn and your mother is holding Lulu.”  
“Heh,” the chief began, “Finny, Munn and Lulu? Did you let Lt. Benson’s son name them for you? Don’t get me wrong, nice kid, but Montgomery,” his eyes locked with Quins, “you have an IQ in the genius range and you gave them those names?”  
Quin let Finny and Munn down on the ground where they sat in between her and the chief, a kitten barrier of sorts.  
“C’mon, Mike back me up with this...those names are-” the chief began but Mike’s mother stopped cooing at Lulu and walked over to them.  
“-most geniuses see the need for creative outlets and if these little rascals are serving as muses it would make sense for them to have unique names.”  
Quin smiled, “Yes, Mike most certainly did see the need...” A tinge of rose came to Mike’s face. She may have had the higher IQ but Mike’s social skills trumped hers any day of the week.  
His arm went around her waist as she looked at him as he said, “Those names have meaning to us both- Finny is named after detective Tutuola who was Benson’s second in command while I was out on recovery.”  
Feeling his certainty and respect for Fin brought Quin’s confidence back to life, “Yes and Munn is in honor of Sergeant Munch who has been a tremendous help to us both, after what happened to us last year and recently to Mike and finally-”  
Mike’s mother looked deeply into her eyes, her faint hazel eyes reading Quin too well for her comfort.  
“Lulu reminds you of someone very near and dear, doesn’t she?”  
Quin paused for a moment, unsure if she should really get into events that happened years ago, but the idea of hiding her true self from such a selfless woman felt fundamentally wrong to her.  
“Lulu looks just like my last cat, Lou, same coloring and breed. There was an incident a couple of years ago and he was shot by-”  
“Hey,” Mike interjected, “You don’t have to explain all of that-”  
“All of what?” the chief pressed as Lulu curled up in his mother’s arms.  
Quin tenderly patted Mike’s forearm “No it’s fine, I was abducted nearly three years ago from my apartment by a rogue operative and during my failed struggle to get away, Lou was shot while...” the sudden emotional recollection of seeing Lou’s lifeless body in her mind’s eyes caught up to her.  
“Damn...” Matt spoke up as Quin felt grateful for his interruption. She saw the change in the chief’s face and knew she had hit some kind of cord. Their interactions, even after the Gauntlet and Mike’s recovery were tense, neither one knowing what to say to affirm the others actions, but she sensed he was trying to extend an olive branch to her, he just didn’t know how to extend it.  
“I had no idea...no one at 1PP ever brought it up...but you were so new at the time and-” he stopped as Quin felt his estranged wife embrace her and cry over her shoulder.  
“Sharon, don’t get all mushy, they made a roast...” the chief groaned as Quin felt her psyche bombarded with Sharon’s emotional aura.  
“How dreadful! Loosing such a trusted animal guardian! I’m so sorry we reminded you of that horrible, terrible moment in your life!” she cried as Lulu clung to Quin’s sweater, until Mike extracted her off of it and sat her down on the ground.  
“It’s really okay, it’s not so raw anymore, besides three of them and a pup-”  
“-Puppy?” Matt queried as Quin saw a flicker of excitement in his eyes and felt her heart get happy. Mike had mentioned that Matt and him had wanted a puppy when they were kids, but the chief had always blocked it since he didn’t think either of his sons could handle the responsibility of a pet.  
Sharon let go of her as their newest addition, a wrinkly bulldog puppy named Winston whimpered from behind their bedroom door.  
“Why isn’t he allowed out? Clearly a cat bias in this house...” the chief scoffed as Matt agreed with him and went over to the door and let Winston out.  
“We’re still socializing him with the kittens, they get rather territorial of Mike and I. Winnie, I mean Winston is getting used to his three others siblings too...” Quin quickly explained as Matt picked up Winston and instantly became enamored with him.

I don’t have a cat bias...Winnie just doesn’t get these three. I’m not some puppy tormentor.

“Hey there little guy! You’re a total chick magnet...yes you are!” Matt joked as Quin saw the chief smile.   
“Matt! He’s far too precious to be doing anything like that, besides Mike has Quin.” Sharon winked at Mike and Quin as she began to coo at Winston like he was their actual child.  
“Mom, their pets aren’t baby babies.” Matt joked as the chief looked at her and Mike and then glanced at their bedroom.  
“I see there’s one bedroom.” he flatly stated.  
“Dad, really?!” Matt balked as Quin crossed her arms over her chest as her kittens formed a tighter wall with their bodies.  
Sharon sighed, “William, leave them be. A communal sleeping area is excellent for aligning their chakras from the root to the crown. It could lead to a human child one of these days.”  
Quin felt her hands dampen and her chest tighten; she was unsure about bringing up the fact that her and Mike were unable to have children. Before she could process the best route to take, his mother read them due to Mike displaying a similar state of being.  
“No way! Holy crap if you’re knocked up you’re having the-” Matt started to blurt out but the chief’s hand darted up and stopped him midsentence.  
The chief glared at both of them, “Are you two expecting?!” he demanded as Mike’s hand held on to Quin’s. She sensed he was using her for stability and couldn’t help but find it amusing since she was far more nervous compared to him.  
“That won’t be a possibility, um, we didn’t think we were going to have this talk with all of you, especially since it’s been some time since I’ve seen mom but...”  
“I-I had a full hysterectomy two months ago. I had severe endometriosis for the last couple of years” Quin jumped in and spared Mike explaining it to them.  
Their faces laid out their states of being to her perfectly well and she saw the Chief find his voice first.  
“Did you even think about the long term repercussions?” he tightly got out as Lulu wrapped her body around Sharon’s ankle as Winston gave Quin a sad look from Matt’s arms. Quin centered herself, trying to find the ideal vocabulary but Sharon picked up Lulu and chimed in.  
“So she’s supposed to endure horrific pain every month so the Dodds bloodline carries on? Really Will?!”  
Quin saw the chief turn his head at her, “What?! It’s a you know- it’s not the end of the world—you can always take a personal day or something…you’ve got to have vacation time saved up for that.”  
“-Ugh, dad! Really?! That’s not fair to ask her to do!” Matt added as Quin looked over at Mike and saw his face trying to contain his rage.  
“Um...I-” she started to interject but soon the three other Dodds family members were bickering so passionately that Mike stormed off into their bedroom and slammed the door, causing Winston to bark. The Dodds family meltdown continued as the chief addressed Sharon.  
“Now look at what you’ve done! He’s gonna be ticked off the entire weekend, he’s back from mandatory leave on Monday and his last weekend he gets to deal with his difficult mother-”  
“Oh! Oh really! I’m not the one who forced their life aura into his!”  
Matt looked at Quin and then at his parents, “Both of you knock it off!” he shouted as Quin saw Winston try to get away from the shouting and held out her hands.  
“Puppy please.” she calmly said to Matt, who more than willingly handed over her petrified pup. She walked over to the couch and sat Winston down on it, who proceeded to snuggle against a stuffed panda bear twice his size as she walked over to the front door and opened it.  
“Please leave.” she coolly ordered without a care in her body as the three of them stopped their shouting match and looked at her.  
“Heh, really?” the chief shot out of his mouth, but she saw the change in his expression as she addressed them.  
“Yes, really. Your son and I have been working through so much to prepare for your arrival. We’ve scowered the planet to ask your friends your personal likes so we could have every possible thing you’d want to make for a relaxing stay. Heck, I had to brush up on my Hindi to ask the head of your commune which brand of tea was your favorite, Sharon. Matt, Mike spent weeks trying to remember your favorite childhood snacks because he wanted you to remember the good times you guys had before your issues took hold,” Quin locked eyes with the chief, “and finally, I spoke with the head chef at the gastropub you frequent to ask how you like your steaks prepared. We’ve dug deep within ourselves to present a pristine environment for all of us to get along better in and we’ve lost so much sleep because of everything we had to wrestle with these last few months.”  
A somber shame washed over the three of them as Quin saw the chief attempt to open his mouth to speak, but she cut him off and continued, “I didn’t even want to bring up my hysterectomy because I should still be taking it easy, but it was the last option I had. I assure you, I tried every other possible option even though Mike and I aren’t sure about children...your son had to convince me to stop holding on and enduring a nightmare each month. We both made that choice together, and we both knew what it would do to you all. I don’t know how to feel about it, there are days I wake up and it’s surreal, but the only real part of it is that it means I get to wake up next to your son. He makes me happy in a way I didn’t think I’d ever deserve, so yes...leave. Leave if it isn’t enough or to your liking because I plan on spending the rest of my days making him as happy as possible because in every possible instance he’s done that for me.”  
The collective shame of Mike’s family weighted in the space around them as the bedroom door opened and Mike walked out.  
“I’m sorry.” Matt broke the silence.  
“Yes, had we known, I-” Sharon began  
“I should have known that you two were going above and beyond, he always does.” the chief rounded out their sentiments as Mike joined Quin at her side, his arm wrapped around her waist in a soft support.  
“I stand behind everything she’s said, one hundred and ten percent. We both want you guys in our lives but not if it’s going to be another battle royale. With what happened to me and to Quin, we can’t put up with this in our lives. Our therapist has said that the time for us to put ourselves first is now, and while it pains us to shut you three out, for our own sanity we will if you can’t try to get along.” he paused as he looked Quin in her eyes and smiled at her, “Now, we’ve prepared a dinner for you guys, stay and enjoy it or go, your choice.”  
Quin felt her heart beat out of her chest. Neither of them had ever been so stern with the chief, let alone his entire family and the stress was starting to get to her.  
“We-I want to stay...” Matt answered as Sharon and the chief nodded their heads in agreement.  
“Yes, I do too.” Sharon added as she turned and looked at her estranged husband, her eyes searching his for his reply.  
“Chief, please join us...” Quin softly asked as he attempted to keep his upper lip from quivering.  
“Dad?” Mike questioned as the four of them watched the chief smother his emotions. Quin felt for him; when Mike had been shot and was recovering from surgery the chief had kept up every possible defense to being emotionally supported. Her mind flashed to when she had walked down the hallway, after the chief had been tense with her and she still heard the faint and stifled sobs he had wept in private as Mike slept.  
The chief took in a deep breath and addressed them, “I want...I want us to be a family, again...” he looked at Sharon who had tears in her eyes, “I’ve missed you, both of you and with what happened to Mike and-” he paused and Quin saw him look at her, “and you, Montgomery, I can’t keep feeling that we’re in pieces when we should be strong...” his voice wavered as Quin watched the Dodds clan embrace him. Their healing energy raw and exposed finally permitted a much needed cathartic cry from them all.  
She felt herself get teary eyed but smiled because she knew it was the step Mike’s family needed. Quin watched Mike hug his brother and mother on top of his father as the atmosphere changed and the chief blinked away a rogue tear. Out of respect she took a step back but one look from the four of them and Quin felt Sharon pull her into the hug. Soon all of them were on the same wavelength; the healing, the truth of family buzzing around them.  
“So...are all your family visits this lively?” Quin teased as Sharon cupped her mouth and held back a laugh.  
“I like her! I like her a lot, Mike!” Sharon cackled as Quin wiped her eyes, “I really do.”  
“Good,” Mike started, “she isn’t going anywhere” he joked as he kissed the side of Quin’s forehead.  
“Well, when you find the one for you, hold on tightly.” the chief added as the family hug dissolved and Matt let out a gasp.  
Quin followed where his eyes were looking and saw a completely empty couch, “NO!”  
Their apartment front door had a small crack where not only Winston, but their kittens had escaped.  
“Your animal friends seem to have escaped.” the chief stated as Quin ran her hands through her hair.  
“Okay,” Quin replied, “We need to split up to find them. Chances are they’re somewhere on this floor...um, I’ll go north, chief please go east with Sharon, Mike take south and Matt please go west.”  
“Can do.” Matt answered as they broke up and went their ways as Quin and Mike stayed behind.  
“It’s not your fault and chances are they’re fine.” Mike softly whispered as he grabbed his keys, “I’m gonna find them, it’s an accident.”  
“Yeah, I just had to use the door as a prop, huh?”  
“Quin...” he looked at her with all the love in his being softening his eyes, “...everything you said, thank you.”  
He left her as Quin locked the door behind him and darted over to the North corridor.

-*-

Sharon picked up the hem of her broomstick skirt as Will’s eyes darted all over the hallway, scanning for any lifeforms. She always got nervous when he scanned like that, especially when she had been at a festival enjoying herself. His ice blue eyes trying pull out every minute detail that she skillfully had mastered hiding from him, one of many walls she put up in his way. 

If he could just listen to the wisdom of the universe just once he’d be at peace with it… 

She thought as the two of them continued in silence until they both heard a paper bag crinkling along with a faint meow.  
“That’s got to be one of the kittens!” Sharon gasped as her and Will made their way down to the end of the hallway and saw the all black kitten with socks, Munn, kicking his hind legs against the bag and hissing.  
“No wonder they named this one after Munch...” the chief joked as he looked at her, “well, you’re the kindred spirit with Mike’s pets, what in the world is this one doing?” his faint smile sent warmth into her heart. It had been decades since she had really felt it from him last.  
“He’s just playing Will, that’s a playful gesture Munn is doing with his hind legs.” she calmly answered as Will saved Munn from the bag monster. Soon Munn was in Will’s arms, loudly purring and blinking his eyes at him and her.  
“He likes you.” Sharon stated as they got up and Munn’s tail started to swish against Will’s arm.  
“He looks annoyed, kinda like how Munch looks whenever he sees me...that man is not a fan of mine.”  
Sharon heard him trail off and saw Munn’s yellow eyes. She recalled a few years ago when she had broken the protocol in her commune and flew back into the city. Matt had nearly OD-ed again and she had forced him into rehab once more before Will could find her and blame her for it. Munch had suggested the place, Munch was an old friend of hers from her festival days who had been kind and open with her.  
Munch had also kept it out of Will’s talons so Will never knew that Matt had been in rehab more than three times. She understood why Quin and Mike had named one of their pets after him. Munn started getting fussy and Will’s brows furrowed.  
“Hey, what’s his deal? I didn’t do anything!” he griped as Munn started thrashing, but Sharon grabbed the ornery kitten and placed him on top of Will’s head, the gesture becoming a salve for the kitten’s mood and Munn relaxed.  
“S-Sharon, wh—why would you put him on my head?!” Will shrieked as Munn sat perfectly perched on his head and she let out a howl as soon as one of Munn’s white paws started batting at her estranged husband’s bushy eyebrows.  
“Agh!”   
Sharon watched her husband try to balance Munn on his head as she teased him, “Oh Will, he’s just playing!”   
The sulky kitten jumped down into her arms as she collected herself and watched Will shake off the jet black kitten hairs on his head.  
“Ugh, let’s go and get back to Montgomery’s place...” he sighed as Sharon chuckled.  
“Your son, our son lives there too you know...she’s good for him, Mike always wanted pets.”  
He rolled his eyes in a more lighthearted fashion, “I know, I know, I was the hardass who wouldn’t let them get a pet, it’s my-”  
Her hand rested on his arm, “Will, we can’t—let’s just get Munn home, we’ll talk later, okay?”  
A smile came to his face and she flashed back to their first date when they had walked home from being soaked from a random downpour. Her shoulders tingled with the sensations of the rain and his coat covering them. In his youth he was more sensitive, it was cloaked with bravado and masculine posturing but she could always get to it and feel it from him. Now, now he was so guarded that she had to use the energy of other living creatures to crack through it. Her heart ached a bit at the thought.  
Her mind pulled back to the present as he looked at her.  
“Heh, sure.”

-*-

Matt saw a furry tail swish under the couch in the lobby area and bolted towards it.  
“Hey, hey little guy...” he assured as he knelt down and saw the tabby, Finny, curled up under the space-his body tightly wound together, tail still swishing.  
“C’mon...I won’t—ow!” Matt cried out as he pulled his hand back and saw several small scratches on the backside of it, “Hey, I thought we were cool...Finny...ugh, please my brother already as more than enough ammunition to hate me for the rest of his life, can you maybe not give him anymore?”  
Matt sighed and sat down in front of the couch. While he really didn’t by into the spiritual mumbo jumbo that rehab and his mother loved to peddle at him, he sat still and tried to relax, to let his mind slip into a state serenity he had been told would calm him. A few moments of silence only brought flashbacks of his numerous failures; he barely graduated high school and college, Mike naturally out shined him there, and the interrupted arrests where his inebriated state gave him a bravado to mouth off at the beat cops who found him. In his mind’s eye he could see the disappointment on Mike’s face, feel the way his brother dragged him home and tucked him in his own bed. Mike’s voice echoed in those memories, always annoyed or angry at first, but soon it turned soft and concerned, and finally went silent.

No way!

Matt shook his head and opened his eyes, the memories fading out of his consciousness. He glanced where Finny had been under the sofa and no longer saw the Tabby kitten’s fluffy tail, instead a loud meow drew his attention to his lap and Matt felt a sense of ease come over him.  
“No wonder Mike and Quin rescued you guys, I feel calmer with just one of you...I feel like crap that they’ve been going through so much shit...”  
Finny’s tail swished and Matt got up while holding him in his arms.  
“Alright Finny, let’s get you back to mom and pop.” Matt joked as Finny head bumped his forearm and they made their way back to Mike’s apartment.

-*-

Mike went south and began to check under every possible spot making sure to leave no area unturned. He knew Quin was stressed out about their missing pets among other things. For weeks she had been prepping for several large trials, Barba keeping her longer than usual and having almost no time to help with the upkeep which only compounded her guilt and stress.  
“Winnie...Lulu...you guys here?” Mike called out as he heard a small whimper in the back of his head.  
His heart jumped a bit, Winnie was only a few months old and practically defenseless, he couldn’t even find the confidence to sit next to the kittens when he vegged out on the couch, any other predator would have a field day with him.  
“Winnie, where are you?!” Mike exclaimed as he walked past the recycling bin and saw a cardboard box move. He looked inside and saw Winnie shaking out of nerves.  
“Hey buddy, its okay, I’m here.” Mike comforted the pup, who looked up at him and shook a bit more in his arms as Mike stood up and petted him.   
“I’m sorry you got lost, c’mon let’s go and reunite you with Quin.”  
Winnie let out a mousy bark and nuzzled against Mike’s chest, causing him to recall the first night he had visited Quin at her place, after her surgery. He could feel the weight of his cane in his hand as his mind recalled the memory. She was lying on her sofa, looking up at her ceiling as he let himself in. She had called him to check in on him and his heart still pinged with guilt over not being able to see her in the hospital. He saw her tear stained face and had instantly worked himself between her and sofa, her head turned and resting against his chest. The sound of her sobbing locked in his head as she explained over and over again it was the only option she had left, that she knew he was okay with it, but the guilt racking her mind and heart without relief. He had wrapped his arms around her, held her and assured her that he’d never leave her and her value to him was beyond her uterus. Both of them had fallen asleep, their mutual exhaustion causing their flames to smolder down into embers.  
Mike bolted out of the memory with the sound of Winnie’s bark and saw Matt turn the corner with Finny.  
“Hey, found you and Winnie, score!” Matt cheered as Finny’s eyes glared at Winnie and Mike felt the pup shake again. He walked over to him and saw Matt smile.  
“They grow on you...” Mike got out as he felt Matt hug him, “hey...”  
“Hey...” Matt replied as Mike and him looked at, “...thanks for letting me--”  
Mike shook his head, “-Matt...Quin and I both want you and mom and dad in our lives- she doesn’t really have any family and we both do need the support with our recoveries, but...Matt..” he paused as Matt’s eyes told him they were on the same page.  
“...I’ve been sober for three weeks, it’s new and not as much fun, but I’ve got a few interviews--”  
“Three weeks, Matt, honey that’s fantastic!” Both men heard their mother cry out as she draped Munn over her shoulder as the ornery black kitten batted at his father’s arm.  
“Why didn’t you say anything, Matty?” their father questioned them, “and only three weeks? Didn’t you complete rehab last year?!”  
Mike saw Matt’s eyes reflect with shame and felt himself step into the fray.  
“Dad, please just let him take it one day at a time. We should be celebrating the milestone, not measuring it up to me or anything else-”  
“-It would have been nice to been informed about this!”  
“Yeah, you would have loved to hear about how I failed yet again-” Matt spoke up as their father groaned.  
“What’s the point of even trying to mend ourselves back together, it’s not going to happen overnight-”  
Mike watched his mother’s hand rest on his father’s arm, “Will, you wanted us to come together, give us the time to do so...please.”  
His father looked deep into his mother’s eyes, “Alright...sorry Matt.”  
Matt nodded as Mike felt like another fire had been put out between the four of them.  
“Dad it’s still gonna take time, but in the meantime, we should find Quin and celebrate together.” Mike responded as Matt gave him an appreciative look. He knew that if Matt had any pressure about getting better in the long term that his self conscious nature would take hold and ruin it.  
“Sounds like a solid plan.” his father agreed and Mike escorted them back to his apartment. He opened the door and let them in, his heart beating a bit faster since it felt odd that Quin wasn’t back yet.  
“Quin isn’t back yet, I hope she’s alright.” his mother stated as Mike looked at all three of them.  
“I’m going to find her by myself, can you take Winnie dad?”  
The smile on his father’s face was a rare treat, “Yeah, we’ll hold down the fort,” he held up Winnie and continued, “me and this little guy right here.”  
Mike nodded and left his place and headed in the direction Quin went in. He saw her sitting on the stairs and made his way over to her. Lulu looked up at him, her blue eyes drawing him towards her. Out of all their kittens, she was the only one who seemed to speak to him with a mere glance, it only reminded him how well Quin could do that to him.  
“Quin?” he tenderly asked as she woke up, “You okay? You look exhausted.” he announced as he kissed the crown of her head.  
Quin let out a chuckle, “I’m okay, I just needed to recuperate after this afternoon...I’m sorry having the family in our space is kinda intense.”  
“Do we need to send them home?” Mike teased as he held out his hand and Quin used it to steady her long legs as she stood up and faced him.  
“No, I don’t, if they are going to eventually welcome me, I’m gonna have to get used to having them around a lot. I sensed you all were at a turning point before our kids scampered off.”  
Mike grinned, “Let’s reunite all of the kids and get to dinner before my father sends out the Feds to find me.”  
He saw a smile return to her face and he felt a soft joy come over his mind.   
“I’m really going to have it.” she told him as he looked at her.  
“What do you mean?”  
Quin paused as he picked up Lulu, “I-heh-I’m finally going to have a family...right?”  
Mike touched his nose to hers and they sank into a gentle kiss. Her love reverberated around his body and he felt alive. The sensations hadn’t been stolen from either of them; both of them were able to be physically intimate again and he knew later on tonight he’d be holding her close, savoring every point of contact between their two nude forms.  
“You always had one...we’ll always be one.” he blushed as his reply left his lips.   
Quin pulled back, “Okay...it’s been so long for both of us, let’s not torture ourselves with you- our family in our home, okay?”  
“Solid work, councilor.” Mike teased as he continued, “I don’t want to keep them waiting either, there is a good chance that they could be sneaking around our bedroom.”  
“Great, now your father will really think I’m corrupting you...” she joked back as her arm linked with his and they made their way back to their home, to their family, united and strong.


End file.
